Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms



gyvnmssm Ma J. T. MORRISON. Breech-Loading Fire-Arm.

PatentedJuly 30,1878.

' INVENT0R:.

,V g gd %wwl/ m/ ATTORNEYS.

UNI ED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN T. MORRISON, OF FORT ooNoHo, TEXAS.

IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS.

fipecification forming part of Letters Patent No. 206,475, dated July 110, 1878; application filed i May 14, 1878.

' of the pivot-bolts withlocking-liead and sprin garms.-

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts. This inventionrclates to such improvements in breech-loading fire-arms, such as carbines, muskets, rifles, 8m, that the fire-arm may be manipulated with greater facility and safety, either on horseback or not, as the loading of the cartridge as well as the ejecting of the shell is performed in easy and rapid manner with the right hand, while the barrel may be swung 011 its pivot in thehollow of the left arm with out detaching the fire-arm,'when used as a carbine, from its sling, or without removing the left hand from the reins in governing the horse.

The invention consists, first, in the construction and working of the ejector and ejectorbar'; second, in the locking-bolt, which looks and unlocks the barrel and half-cocks the hammer by one and the same motion.

Referring to the drawing, A represents the barrel, B the breech-block, C the hammer, D the looking-bolt, E the ejector, andF the firing-pin, of my improved breech-loading firearm. The ejector E swings on a cross-piece,

' a, and extends by its side wings into side recesses of the breech end of the barrel, at both sides of the cartridge-shell, its lower part being acted upon below its pivot-pin by a springbolt, b, connected to the ejector-bar Efwhile the forked end of the ejector-bar presses on the ejector above its pivot when the barrel is The barrel swings on ahi-nge-pin, d, and asit moves around the hinge of the stock the extractor-bar is moved 1 back by a fixed projecting pin, a, which projects into a slot, 0, in the rear-part of the ejcctor-bar'whenever the barrel is thrown into open position for inserting the cartridge, so as to push back the ejector-bar and ejector, and throw out thereby the empty shell simultaneously with the breaking of the barrel.

The fixed pivot portion of the stock is also provided, back of the pin d, with an eccentric enlargement, c, that serves to lift the rear end of the ejector-bar, so as to admit the passage vofthe same clear of the projecting pin whenever the barrel is turned up into locked position. The pin enters then again the slot, and

the ejector-bar is ready for ejecting the shell whenever thebarrel is again thrown down. The spring-bolt returns the ejector back into its recess as soon as the shell is ejected.

The locking-bolt D engages, by a projecting catch, a recess, f, of the solid'bottom piece of the barrel, and by a projecting heel or knee, f, at the opposite side the hammer C, so as to release, by pressing-back the bolt, the barrel, and admit its unlocking, and simultaneously set the hammer into half-cocked position. This construction of the locking-bolt renders it impossible to open or close the barrel without forcing the hammer off from the firing-pin and throwing its trigger at the same time into. the safety-notch provided for-holding the hammer in this position.

The firing-pinF passes through a guide-hole bf the projecting plug, and is made in one piece of solid steel with its spring, the upper end of the spring being attached into a dovetail slot or notch at the top of the breech-block and-held in place by a small screw. This simple construction of the firing-pin and spring discharges the cartridge by center-fire on the throwing of the hammer, and produces, by the automatic setting of the hammer by the locking-bolt, the throwing back of the firing-pin flush with the face of the breech-block, so as to admit the ready clearing of the same by the cartridge or shell in closing or 'opening'the barrel.

The improved ejector construction, double acting locking-bolt, and fi-rin g-pin are applicable to any carbine, musket, or rifle,-of any length or caliber, using metallic fixed ammu nition and breaking at any desired angle. All the pivot cross-bolts of my fire-arm are provided with a locking-head and spring-arm,

as'shown in Fig. 4, so that the difl'erent pieces may be readily taken apart and the severalparts reassembled without the use of a screwdriver, the bolt being merely pressed home, then turned so that the head shall fit under a small lug near the 1101c, and at the same time the spring-point be swung into a small countersunk recess let into the face of the frame. In this manner all the parts of the fire-arm are firmly held together, and may be taken to pieces for cleaning or repairing without difficulty, and at a saving of time and labor in properly keeping the fire-arm in order.

Having thus fully described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination, in a breech-loading firearm, of a' pivoted ejector actuated by the pivoted barrel, in combination with a sliding ejector-bar, having a forked end bearing above pivot of ejector, and a spring-bolt bearing on a point below the same, the ejector-bar being slotted at the opposite end and engaged by a projecting pin and eccentric enlargement of the fixed pivot portion of the stock, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a fire-arm, the pivoted locking-bolt B, having catch f, that enters a recess in bottom piece of the barrel, and the heel j", that is acted upon by a shoulder of the hammer, as shown and described.

\ JOHX Tl. MORRISON.

Witnesses:

O. M. SMITH,

20121. G. Smrmm. 

